The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory

The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock And Feminist Theory first appeared in 1988, but it remains a unique and important work of film theory for college-level students today and its reprint edition assures libraries with solid film analysis holdings will still have access. Hitchcock fans receive critical insights on seven important films, each of which serves as a foundation for an analysis of spectators of both sexes. This updated second edition includes a new chapter surveying the last 15 years of Hitchcock and adds further food for thought.

This book was assigned reading for a Hitchcock class at NYU. I thoroughly enjoyed its even-handed approach to pondering the great film auteur's perspective on women as expressed in his films and the place of women in American films in general.Although I might disagree with about 5-10% of her conclusions, I would still highly recommend this study.

A fascinating though dense read for people interested in women's studies or Hitchcock. It ain't easy reading, but Modleski's perspectives of some of Hitch's best work (as seen through the lens of feminist criticism) is worth the struggle.